Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Violations

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Brandon Patton, 28, of Minot, North Dakota, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense, and felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Daniel Neill for the DEA.

According to court documents, on May 31, 2019, a Nevada Highway Patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Patton was a passenger. At the time of the traffic stop, Patton, a convicted felon, possessed two loaded firearms: a Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun and a Springfield Arms XD .40 handgun. In addition, he possessed 366 grams of marijuana, 149 grams of heroin, and approximately 3,000 grams of methamphetamine, all of which he intended to distribute. Patton has a previous conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in North Dakota.

This case was the product of an investigation by the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen Torgoley is prosecuting the case.

Patton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon on June 9, 2020. Patton faces a total maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, with a five year minimum term, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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